These look great! I have made something similar out of horse feed sacks and chicken feed sacks. I have made the handles out of the bag material, but it's not easy to attach them and have the stitching come out looking neat. I like the idea of grommets and rope. If your handle starts to look ratty you can take it off and wash it or even replace it with no trouble.

Your bags have the look of paper bags, with the folds/creases on the sides. Did you just fold and press it to make the creases? Also, did you start with 2 rectangles and stitch sides and bottom then match up the side and bottom seams and stitch across to box the bottom, OR, did you cut squares out of the bottom corners and stitch the cut edges together? Sorry to ask so many questions, but your bags look so nice and sturdy that I'd like to replicate them. Would you mind giving the dimensions of the pieces?

These look great! I have made something similar out of horse feed sacks and chicken feed sacks. I have made the handles out of the bag material, but it's not easy to attach them and have the stitching come out looking neat. I like the idea of grommets and rope. If your handle starts to look ratty you can take it off and wash it or even replace it with no trouble.

Your bags have the look of paper bags, with the folds/creases on the sides. Did you just fold and press it to make the creases? Also, did you start with 2 rectangles and stitch sides and bottom then match up the side and bottom seams and stitch across to box the bottom, OR, did you cut squares out of the bottom corners and stitch the cut edges together? Sorry to ask so many questions, but your bags look so nice and sturdy that I'd like to replicate them. Would you mind giving the dimensions of the pieces?

Thanks! First I have to say that on the bag I copied from that the handles have far outlasted the bag itself as far as looking ratty, but it has nylon rope that is the color of natural rope which I couldn't find at the 2 hardware stores I looked at.

Second, they are the size of paper bags give or take and all I did was cut the bottom seam, then re-sew it & sew 2 more to make the gussets. I hope I can explain that well enough. Turn the cut bag inside out and re-sew the bottom. Then you have a tube with one end sewn flat, open the un-sewn end. Take one of the sides of the seam you just made and press it flat with your hands, forming a triangle with the seam centered form the top point to hypotenuse. (I can't believe I spelled hypotenuse correctly the first time). Measure in a few inches on that seam and sew another seam perpendicular to it. Cut the excess triangle off and repeat on the other end of the first seam. Once that's done turn it back so the right side is out and fold down the top to the height of bag you like. The bag I copied had at least 4 inches folded in, so I leave quite a bit, but have cut off excess. Then I just finger press to get the creases, but it's some pretty intense finger pressing. Mark where you want the grommets, add them and the handles and done.

If the description of the gussets is too confusing I can try to get a photo, just let me know.